Restoration of Yeonghundang Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace Damaged During Japanese Colonial Period

The Cultural Heritage Administration Invests 16.5 Billion KRW in Restoration
Renovation of the Former Coal Storage Building Site and More

The Yeonghundang area of Gyeongbokgung Palace, damaged during the Japanese colonial period, will be restored to its original state. On the 13th, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Palace and Royal Tombs Division announced that it will invest 16.5 billion KRW by 2027 to restore seven buildings including Yeonghundang, as well as surrounding facilities such as wells and walls. The plan includes refurbishing the site of the coal storage building (Tango, 炭庫) that stored coal for the Jeonggijeungso electric lamp, revealing the complex aspects of Gyeongbokgung during King Gojong’s reign.

The area, built together with Heungbokjeon, included Yeonghundang with nine bays at the front and two bays on the side, surrounded by corridors, walls, a side gate, and wells. Yeonghundang (永薰堂) means “the fragrance continues forever.” It was mainly used as quarters for concubines and palace maids but was dismantled by the Japanese colonial government in the 1910s.

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage conducted excavation surveys from 2015 to 2016 to establish a restoration framework. At that time, the site of Jeonggijeungso (電氣燈所), Korea’s first electric power plant, and related artifacts were also discovered in the northern part of the area.

To minimize disruption to Gyeongbokgung visitors and the landscape caused by the restoration work, the Palace and Royal Tombs Division will install an “Art Fence” (a construction barrier enhanced with design and artistic elements) using eco-friendly coated steel panels. A promotional space for Yeonghundang and Jeonggijeungso will also be created to improve the viewing environment and public design.